Diagnosed with brain tumour at 17 months old, Christina Shepherd, a Software Developer here at TASKA, is a cancer survivor and has received a lot of support from Canteen Aotearoa, a New Zealand charity that provides free and tailored support to young people aged 13 to 24 who are impacted by cancer.

“I joined Canteen as soon as I turned 13 and I’ve made many amazing friends through it from both New Zealand and Australia. It’s been really good having a group of friends that understand what it’s like going through cancer at such a young age,” Christina explained.

But Canteen’s impact on Christina’s life and her family’s extends far beyond friendship connections. “Canteen has also helped me become more accepting of my diagnosis, I’m a lot more open about it nowadays. I’ve also joined Canteen’s youth leadership program where I have built lifelong skills that I can use in other aspects of my life.”

To celebrate her last year within the organisation, and to help Canteen reach more members, Christina and her sister decided to raise funds for the charity by shaving their heads. The head shaving occurred on Friday, 7 June, and they raised over NZD 5,000 for Canteen.

“I’m so happy that we were able to get something out of doing the head shave. It’s honestly the best feeling. I wasn’t expecting to raise so much but seeing everyone come together to support us has been a great feeling,” said Christina. “The feeling of knowing I’ve been able to help Canteen continue to support people similar ways to how they helped me makes the cold head worth it.”

Christina, we are very proud to have you in the team! Congratulations on the successful fundraiser and thank you from all the Team at TASKA.